Application discloses a facet navigator for searching a database where a plurality of constraint manipulators surround a view field, creating a spider shaped user interface controller. FIG. 1 shows facet navigator 100 for searching a dataset of laptop computers. Manipulator field 110 has a plurality of constraint manipulators related to different constraints a user might consider when choosing to buy a laptop computer. As a user adjusts a constraint manipulator, view field 140 changes to display search results 142 of the dataset matching the search criteria set by the constraint. For example, manipulator 171 for cost constraint 111 is a slider on a slider bar that a user can adjust to search for computers within a selected price range. In this example, search results 142 are displayed in a sorted array with price axis 144 and quality axis 146. Other constraint manipulators shown are slider 172 for weight constraint 112, slider 173 for battery constraint 113, slider 174 for display constraint 114, slider 175 for communication constraint 115, slider 176 for brand constraint 116, slider 177 for “what I want to do” constraint 117, slider 178 for disk constraint 118, slider 179 for memory constraint 119, slider 180 for speed constraint 120, slider 181 for software constraint 121, and slider 182 for operating system constraint 122. Facet navigator 100 is a space efficient user interface for searching a single database by setting a plurality of constraints. Facet navigator 100 does not allow the individual to conduct related searches of multiple databases simultaneously.
Many computerized tasks involve searching multiple databases, then combining the individual results to form a final result. For example, when an individual relocates to a new city, the individual will consider multiple factors in choosing a place to live. Factors the individual may consider include cities, schools, neighborhoods, and lifestyle. Information for each of these factors may be stored in different databases. The individual must search each database separately, then combine the information to achieve a final result. A need exists for a way to combine a plurality of facet navigators for related searches of different databases into a single, space efficient user interface.